Graffiato - Taupo Street Art Festival

Each Labour weekend the town of Taupo, in the central North Island of New Zealand, holds a street art festival where invited artists are provided with a blank wall to use as a massive canvas.  Taupo's was the first festival of this kind in New Zealand, there are now others, and attracts artists from around New Zealand and overseas keen to showcase their skills. 

Street art has many purposes; it can work as a commentary on modern life, be useful as a form of protest, draw attention to social issues, be an outlet for the quirky and/or vivid imagination of the artist or simply just as a pleasing way to beautify an ugly wall. Towns with numerous examples of street art have also noticed a considerable reduction in the amount of mindless graffiti they need to clean up.  It seems even  vandals respect good street art.

I enjoy street art so on my recent trip to Taupo exploring these murals was high on my list of things to do.  Armed with a map from the Taupo isite (information centre)  I set out to see as many as possible.   Many are up alley ways and behind commercial buildings like hidden, secret treasures, it was fun finding them. Unfortunately for me there was persistent rain that day but I did my best and managed to see at least half of the murals before getting soaked and very cold. The upside, though, is that next time I go to Taupo I will have the other half to look forward to. 

by Jacob Chrisohoou

Hunting for the murals would be a great family activity too.  Get children involved searching for them, like a treasure hunt, and then both children and adults can enjoy the art together. Note: the art remains, it is not removed after the festival

The photos are of some of the street art I did manage to see.  

by Numa MacKenzie

Part of a mural by Jeremy Shirley

Part of a mural by Erin Forsyth

by Beck Wheeler

by Charles and Janine Williams

by Dside